Jetmakers race to meet Sydney-London non-stop challenge

Planemakers gave a glimpse of the ultra-long-distance jets of the future Sunday as they work to meet a demanding goal from Qantas to connect Sydney and London in a non-stop 20-hour flight. As global airline leaders gather for an annual conference in Sydney with jet lag and in some cases with lost suitcases after connecting at foreign hubs, Qantas is looking to close the traditional "tyranny of distance" between Australia and global financial centres like London and New York by 2022. This year, Qantas began non-stop flights between Australia and Europe by linking Perth and London. It is now considering an order for ultra-long jets with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X in contention. "I think we'll get to the stage where, technically, we will know where the aircraft are going to be, in the next few months," Qantas CE Alan Joyce said. <br/>